Pulsars and Cigarettes
by TheHalfBloodPrincess95
Summary: 18 year old Regina Mills goes to astrophysics university, all ambitious and with high hopes of learning new things. She meets new people, and can't get one outstanding man out of her mind. Unfortunately, he's one of her science idols and, also, her teacher. A non-magical AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer : I do not own OUAT. **

**Author's Note : So, I have a thing for smart guys, and in this fanfiction, Regina will too. I will perhaps incorporate other pairings, but it's probably going to end up being a GoldenQueen-centered fic. I will try to update it as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy it! **

Regina Mills was pacing through her tiny rented flat. She was starting university today and was very nervous and insecure. What if she wasn't good enough? She was always on top of her class in high school and was used to everything being easy. She basically got into university without any effort. Now, everything felt different and she was panicking. Storybrooke Uni was one of the very best in astrophysics and was very respected by experts and very feared by students. Rumor had it the professors were strict and unforgiving and that barely 50% of students usually made it through the first year. While Regina never was the insecure kind of girl, she still felt intimidated for the very first time in her life.

She shook her raven head, trying to chase the fear away. Walking up to her closet, Regina took her time deciding what to wear. She wanted to appear professional, yet not too serious. In the end, she chose dark jeans and a white shirt. She put just her signature crimson lipstick on and headed out.

Arriving to the front university gate made her feel uneasy. She didn't know anyone, and she wasn't a very open person, so she anticipated that making friends would be harder than passing exams. But, deep in her thoughts, she slammed into a blonde wearing a red leather jacket

"Hey, watch it!", said the blonde and Regina apologized.

"Don't sweat it, I'm fine", the blonde answered. "I'm Emma, by the way. Are you a freshman too?"

"Yes, I am .Actually, I was just looking for Calculus, do you have any idea where it is?"

"Not really, but I'm heading there too, we can look together" , Emma said, with relief. She was bored when she was all by herself.

"Sure. We girls should stick together", said Regina.

It was a well known fact that there weren't many girls in their field. So many jokes were made about it it wasn't even funny.

"So" , said Emma,"have you seen some cute guys here?"

Regina choked a bit, she was fairly inexperienced with guys. Not a single one ever caught her attention. They all were too immature and lacked ambition. She also wasn't used to typical "girl talk", so she answered :

"I think I saw one. Blue eyes and bad boy charm, everything a teenage woman wants."

She didn't think he was hot, but Emma seemed like a typical teenage girl, so she just might.

Suddenly, they bumped into a large group of students who looked petrified. Emma decided to check what's going on.

"Hey, guys, what's up?", she asked curiously.

"Have you seen the schedule? We have Gold for Introduction Course in Modern Astrophysics! Gold! The famous "you are a bunch of idiots who will never pass my subject" professor. Sure, he's a genius, but I also heard he's a mean old fart" ,answered a tall handsome guy with bluest eyes Emma has ever seen.

Regina saw Emma's jaw drop and smiled. This was the guy she told her about.

"I'm Killian, by the way. What's a gorgeous girl like you doing here?", he said, immediately turning his flirt mode on.

"The same as you. Women are just as smart as men. And _some_ women are much smarter than _some_ men". Emma wasn't in the mood for "women can't do science" today.

"Am I right, is this a challenge? Because I will not spare you just because you're a girl".

"And I will not spare you just because you're conceited and your big chauvinistic ego is going to suffer a punch when you see me doing math. Oh, I'm Emma, Emma Swan."

"Can't wait to see you again, preferably doing math, Swan", Killian said with a smile that was, Emma hated to admit, nothing short of dashing.

Regina sighed. Coming to the university, she expected heated discussions and group projects. People with similar interests and ambition. Instead, it seemed just like high school, girls thinking about guys, guys chasing girls. Emma interrupted her thoughts with a question.

"So, what do you know about this Gold guy?", she asked.

"Please, tell me you are kidding me. He is probably the biggest expert on modern astrophysics at the moment. You can read his work in every respectable science magazine. Last year, he published a book on his work. I devoured it with enjoyment."

"Ease up on the fangirling, please. Plus, didn't Killian just say he's a mean old fart?"

"If he's mean, he probably has the right to be. I can't believe we even get to be in the same room with that man". Emma just exhaled loudly. She was here because her parents made her, since it was the top university. She didn't care much for astrophysics.

Soon they were in front of the Calculus classroom. They rushed to their seats, because class was starting any minute. The professor was a grumpy old man called Leroy, who actually seemed drunk. Regina felt another wave of disappointment. She came here to learn and expected professors to be on top of their game.

She left the class feeling down and exhausted. The professor barely taught them anything, but he gave them a test sheet they were supposed to solve by tomorrow. Regina went through the material and realized it wasn't extremely hard. She decided to relax first, so she cooked herself a cup of coffee and took a science magazine. She flipped it until she found what she wanted to read.

"_Galactic structure_" by professor Aidan I. Gold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note : Watching OUAT, I wasn't really happy with how Millah left Rumple. And, in all honesty, it seemed inplausable to me for anyone to act the way she did on the show. She once shared a life with him, she must have loved him at some point. But, that's just what I like to think. Anyway, I decided to add that to her character, so there it is.  
Hope you like the second chapter!**

Aidan Gold woke up at his usual time. 6 fucking o'clock. The truth is, while this was his normal routine, he liked sleeping in. But, his job didn't allow him that. He had to be in his office by 8, and he enjoyed having some time before going to work. He gave his sleeping wife Millah a light peck on the cheek and went to the kitchen.

His son Neal was sound asleep, so he passed his room quietly, not wanting to wake him up, but he couldn't resist peeking inside. The four-year old was sleeping peacefully and Aidan felt a surge of joy. He had it all. No, not all, but enough. He had a job he adored, a career as a scientist and a smart little boy he adored. He also had a wife and he loved her. At least, he loved her before. They were working on saving that marriage, but it wasn't going so well. He decided not to think about it this early in the morning. Sipping his coffee, he lit up a cigarette and opened up a book. He loved reading and always went back to classics.

Millah came down to the kitchen.  
"Good morning, dear", he said and she looked at him, with a look he once loved seeing on her face. He knew what she wanted, namely - him, but his heart just wasn't in it. He also had to take a shower and squeeze into his three-piece suit. Millah came closer, sliding her hands over his chest and kissing his neck. He blocked out the thoughts about not wanting it to be like this, and thought for a split second that if he just pretended everything was fine between them, maybe it will be. That's how Millah ended up sprawled across their dining table, pinned beneath her husband's lean body. He was kissing her with a passion he did not feel, but his lower body decided he also wanted this. And when Millah's hips rolled against his member looking for friction, he hurried to get them both completely undressed. Aidan's hand went between his wife's thighs and he felt just a little spark of manly pride when he felt how hot and wet she was for him. And just as he wanted to enter her, he remembered. He didn't love her anymore, she didn't love him back and this exact thing was why their marriage needed saving in the first place. A month ago, he witnessed the same sight. Only he wasn't the man above her. Aidan tried to forgive her, but even though he could forgive her for giving that man her body, she also gave him her heart. When he confronted her about it, she admitted she loved that guy.  
His head started spinning and he muttered, "I can't. I just can't."

He rolled off of her on the table and took her hand in his. He kissed it and whispered softly in her ear: "What are we going to do?".

Millah didn't say a word. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks but felt like she was the guilty one and therefore had no right to cry. Yes, she didn't love him anymore, but that didn't mean she never did. Aidan made her feel safe and they've known each other for most of their lives. She knew it would be wrong to stay in a loveless marriage, but she just couldn't turn her back on the past they shared. Millah also knew he felt the same. The look in his eyes he had when they were truly one was gone, but she could see the affection that was still there and she hated herself for it. She didn't deserve him, she never deserved him! Yet, she hurt him in a way he would never forget. Millah got up and started dressing herself, trying to wipe her tears away so that her husband doesn't see her cry. Aidan has gone up to the bedroom to get dressed and when he came down again, she was there with a broken smile.

"Have a nice day at work", she said and just when he was about to leave, she ran up to him and hugged him from behind.

He felt a lump in his throat and if he hadn't known before this was when he knew - this was tearing her apart as much as him. He turned slowly, carefully, gathering her in his arms and kissed the top of her curly head.

"We'll figure something out", he said, trying to sound as if he believes it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...", she whispered into the lapel of his suit, more times than he could count.

"I know", he said, hugged her tightly one more time and went out the door. Millah stumbled back to their bedroom, feeling numb because of all the pain and tried to fall back asleep on his side of the bed.

Aidan was sitting in his car. Whenever he wanted to start them, his hands began to shake. Finally he gave up and decided to walk to work, even if that means arriving late. He was trying not to think about this morning, but tears were stinging his eyes all the way to the university.

"For fuck's sake, Gold, get your shit together before any of the students see you", he was repeatedly telling himself. So he straightened his tie, decided to put sunglasses on and pulled out a pack of Luckies out of his pocket.

"Oh, isn't that just lovely?", he thought, realizing he forgot his lighter. Aidan Gold was having a rough morning, and he was suddenly nervous about the class he was supposed to teach. He was always a calm, strict guy with a reputation of being emotionless and ruthless and he preferred his students seeing him like that. He was nice to them sometimes, but never wanted to play friends with them like some other teachers tried. Aidan Gold liked being respected more than he liked being loved.

When he entered his office, he tried to calm himself down. At the very moment it started working, Jefferson barged into his office. While Jefferson was one of the rare people he kinda liked (although he would never admit it), he wanted just a moment for himself.

"Could you ever knock before entering or is that just too much of a trouble for you?", he asked, trying to mask his irritated tone with a laugh.

"Then you, my friend, could pretend not to be here. I couldn't possibly risk a day not talking to your lovely morning persona. Anyway, you look like shit today. Now why is that?", Jefferson demanded to know.

For a second, Gold thought about opening up his soul but he remembered he wasn't much of a soul-opening type of guy.

"The pot calling the cattle black. Or rather, you telling me I look like shit. Isn't that just amusing?", Gold shot back.

"Buddy, I appreciate your mean humor, but if you do need to talk about something, I'm here for you."

"Thanks", Gold responded, genuinely feeling glad Jefferson offered him to talk. "How's Gracie?"

Jefferson's face lit up immediately. His daughter, Grace, was his pride and joy and he loved talking about her.

"Oh, she's just gotten a reward in her school, for a poem she wrote. It's called Spring Tea party and I had no idea she could write like that. Probably took that after her mother". Jefferson's expression suddenly became so sad. Years have gone by, but he missed his late wife just the same. Gold suddenly felt a strange urge to hug his friend, but resisted, realizing it might seem awkward. This day just seemed to make him feel worse as it went by.

"Congratulations, and tell Gracie I'm very proud of her".

"I will. Actually, she wanted to invite you and Neal for tea this weekend."

"We would love that. I bet Neal's going to be impossible of all the joy. You know how he loves Grace", Gold answered.

Jefferson then looked at the clock and realized he was late for class. He said goodbye quickly and rushed to the classroom, leaving Gold alone with his thoughts. Gold sighed and went to get another coffee. His class was about to start soon and he had to prepare some handouts for students.

At that very minute, Regina was running to the university. As she saw she arrived on time, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her bag and lit one up. It was an annoying habit and she was trying to quit, but it wasn't very easy. She lent against the fence and calmly inhaled smoke after smoke.

Gold also went out for a smoke, forgetting that he doesn't have a lighter. Just as he wanted to go back inside, he noticed a black haired woman, holding a fag between her crimson lips. He felt somehow drawn to her and convinced himself he was approaching her just because of a lighter.

"I'm sorry, Miss, may I trouble you for the lighter?", he said, pointing to his cigarette, feeling ridiculously for feeling a tad bit nervous. Regina looked up and saw him and although he probably wasn't blessed with those babyface prince Charming looks, she thought he was intriguingly handsome, having all those strong masculine features that made his face impossible to forget. For the first time in her life, she found herself instantly attracted to someone. Little did she know it was the same person whose books she read over and over again.

"Umm, sure, help yourself", she said, handing him the lighter.

"Thanks", he said and took a nice long drag. Regina couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked, like a fine mix of a gentleman and a rockstar. Then she remembered she had a class. And Aidan Gold and his view of modern astrophysics was still more appealing to her than a handsome stranger.

"I have to go. I have this class I really need to get to and I heard the professor is a great expert, but not a very pleasant person", she explained.

"What's his name?", he wanted to know, genuinely curious.

"Aidan Gold"

He wasn't surprised that he was the one in question. After all, the description did sound like him. He was amused and decided not to reveal himself.

"Oh... better go then, he's a real piece of work and doesn't tolerate people being late".


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note : First I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing, it was a really nice surprise to find positive reviews this morning when I logged in. Here's the third chapter, which I hope you will all like. I'm fairly new at fanfictions, so I hope I won't screw it up somewhere along the way and that you will continue to like this story. I'll definitely try. **

Gold shook his head, smiling to himself. She was a pretty thing. A pretty 18-year old student. _His_ student! He was also still married and even if he wasn't, he just wasn't a type of guy who would ever make a move on a girl that much younger, especially his student. Still, it was nice to just observe those big eyes and plump lips for a while.

He rushed to his class, looking forward to seeing a look on the pretty student's face when he entered the auditorium.

Regina thought about the handsome stranger while she was going to Gold's class. She knew she was too young for him and sighed, thinking how she'll probably never see him again. That made her sad, because this man unknowingly helped her experience something new. She had never known what it feels like to be attracted to someone so much it felt like someone knocked your air out.

Emma was standing in front of the classroom door and waved a hand at Regina to get her attention.

"Hey. Gold's late", Emma said.

"Good". Regina sighed with relief. "Otherwise I would have been."

Emma chuckled and couldn't help but notice, "Um, you really don't seem like that type. Being late and stuff."

"I'm not, really. Just today...", Regina cut herself off in the middle of a sentence. She never really had any female friends, aside from her childhood friend Mal who moved to Europe a couple of years ago. She wanted to tell Emma about a handsome stranger, but Emma seemed fairly into boys, meaning she probably at least had some experience and Regina felt silly talking about how she just saw a guy.

Emma waved her hand in front of her, "Heeey, Earth to Regina. What's going on?"

"Umm, let's go inside and find a place to sit, then I'll tell you", Regina answered, hoping Emma would forget.

Finding a seat was close to mission impossible. Half of their college was there, not just their generation. Those were people who failed Gold's course and had to take it again. The whole scene was in a way intimidating. Those students certainly weren't stupid, so the course was probably extremely hard. Regina and Emma found a seat in the back row of the classroom. Killian Jones was walking by and stopped to tease Emma.

"Swan, what are you doing up here? Didn't anyone tell you two?"

"Tell us what?", Emma asked, a little bit irritated, but for the most part happy he noticed her.

"If you want to sit anywhere near Gold and his blackboard, you have to come a bit earlier and leave something like a notebook to save you a seat", Killian explained.

"Oh, thanks...", Emma said, pretending she forgot his name.

"You wound me, lass. Name's Killian and I'll strongly advise you not to forget it this time", he said with a grin.

"Or what?", Emma really wanted to know and hoped for something dirty. Killian saw it in her eyes and decided to play along.

"Oh, I think I have just a way to make you repeat it until you're hoarse", he said, getting closer to her and Emma blushed. Wow, this guy was moving fast, she thought.

"And what makes you think you have any chance of doing that?", she shot back.

"I just hope I do", he said, sincerely. Then he left. It was a mystery for Emma how he could act like a bad boy thinking every girl wants him at times and then admit he's not sure of that.

"You're positively blushing", Regina laughed at Emma.

"Am not. And sorry, you were about to tell me why you were late".

"It's not really that interesting", Regina tried to convince Emma.

"Doesn't matter, I'm curious".

"Umm ok. So, I got to university on time and wanted to wait outside, light one up, when a man approached me and asked for a lighter. He was so sexy I could barely speak and I felt like I wanted nothing more than to spend a day just standing next to him and smoking..."

"So, you took his hand, dragged him to the bathroom and fucked his brains out?", Emma suggested.

Regina almost choked on her own tongue. Then she got herself together and answered, "Nooo, I gave him a lighter".

"You're right, it's not much of a story", Emma teased.

Regina just decided she didn't feel like explaining why that was so special for her when Emma asked, "Wait, your reaction to my joke was far more intense than I anticipated. Err, I mean, have you ever...you know?".

Emma suddenly felt shy about asking, so she added, "I mean, you don't have to tell me, I just..."

A slam of the door interrupted them and Regina was relieved she didn't have to answer. Boys weren't really interesting to her, so she only had a couple of kisses here and there, ending everything before poor guys could even get their hopes up. The relief Regina felt didn't last.

She yelped when she realized Gold was in fact her handsome stranger.

"Shit, shit, shit", she thought to herself. Not only was she having a crush on her professor, she also somehow managed to tell him he's not a pleasant person.

"Well, hello, students. I am professor Gold and I'll be teaching you Modern astrophysics for this semester. Rest assured that you will learn something here. However, I cannot promise you passing this class will be easy. In fact, I see some familiar faces today. Perhaps second time's a charm."

Aidan looked around the room. There she was, the raven haired beauty, sitting in the back, looking positively mortified. He resisted the urge to laugh and went on explaining which books they needed and how grading will go.

And then he started handing out some papers. This year, he decided to do an entry test. It will have no effect on the grade, it served only for satisfying his curiosity. He always wondered if the students were really interested in what they had to learn and if they were, they could probably answer a couple of questions.

"You have 20 minutes. You may begin...now", Gold said, expecting to hear the sounds of scribbling pens. But only a couple of students even tried to come up with an answer. He frowned just a bit and looked around the room. His pretty new acquaintance was writing and her blonde haired friend was desperately trying to copy the answers.

"Which part of the "this won't affect the final grade" didn't she hear?", Gold thought, irritated by this. He glanced at his watch and declared, "Time's up. One of you, collect the papers and leave them on my desk".

Then he started his lecture. It was just the introduction and Regina felt she knew most of those things already, but her gaze was fixated on him. He spoke slowly but passionately about the subject, his thick Scottish accent coating every word. His eyes were positively shining as he explained how astrophysicists have to know everything from mechanics to electromagnetics in order to be good at what they do.

Aidan Gold was in the middle of the classroom doing what he does best and he allowed himself to think, if only for a moment, that that dreamy look on this gorgeous girl's face had at least something to do with him. Little did he know it had everything to do with him. To her shock, she realized he sometimes nibbles at his own lower lip when he pauses. Did he have any idea what effect it had on her? She wanted him to nibble at her lip, to pull her flush against his body. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and kiss him and yank at that pretty red tie. She wanted to sleep with him, she wanted him to _fuck_ her until she forgets her own name from screaming his. She wanted...

"Regina! Snap out of it, the bell just rang", Emma told her. Gold was already leaving the classroom and she rushed to him.

"Um, professor Gold, I just wanted to apologize for what I said before. You know, about you being an unpleasant person."

"Don't worry about it. Although you do seem too smart to trust rumors even if they are, as in this case, completely true", Gold smiled and resisted the urge to talk to her some more, seeing that other students were watching them curiously.

Emma wanted to know what was all that about, but Regina didn't feel like talking, so Emma dropped it. They went to the local coffee shop to get the math assignment done and talk a bit. All the time, Regina couldn't get Gold out of her mind. The thing with him was that she already felt as if she knew him, knew his obsessions and passions. She was turned on by him, yes, but it wasn't just for the looks. It was because she admired him, looked up to him and thought they had a lot in common. It was also because of the power. His knowledge was his little superpower he could use to bring Regina to her knees. Perhaps literally.

But he was a genius, an older, experienced man, with a wedding band she noticed when he was taking her lighter. What did she had to offer? She couldn't parallel him when it came to intelligence and she didn't want to be noticed just because of her looks. Perhaps she wasn't even his type.

"What's wrong with you? You're so absent-minded today", Emma noticed. "Still thinking about that handsome fellow you met today?"

"In a way".

"Next time you see him, listen to smart Emma's advice and do something about it".

"Smart Emma? Never met one in my life", Regina joked.

"Heey, what if that hurt my feelings?"

"It didn't. Now, let's do this equations already."

Once they finished it has already gotten dark outside and Regina hurried home to rest and to call her parents. She was an only child and her father Henry was very attached to her. He almost didn't let her come all alone to Storybrooke to study, but knowing it was her dream, he didn't want to stand in her way.

"Hi, Dad. ...Oh, I'm fine, I miss you terribly...Yes, I miss Mom too..."

Regina never had a good relationship with her mother. The expectations she had set for Regina were high and as Regina lived up to them, they only got higher. It was a constant pressure to be the best in everything and Regina didn't want to feel as if she wasn't good enough for the rest of her life.

When she finished her conversation, she lit up a cigarette and took Gold's book, one of many she brought with her to this tiny apartment. She inhaled and caressed his name on the cover of the book, trying her best to convince herself it was just a crush and she had no chance of ever actually being with him.

* * *

At that very moment across the town, Aidan Gold was pacing through his living room, trying to think of a way to save his marriage. What happened today, him noticing that girl, has never happened before. His wife was the only woman he could see for a very long time and feeling attracted to someone else scared him. His family came first and he wanted to keep it together. Millah was in her study room, working on her book. She wrote chicklits and while they were very popular and she got good money writing them, he always hated her books. They were dull and predictable and didn't present an intellectually stimulating thing for him. Neither did she. Gold stopped to think about their past and what it was that he once loved about her.

"Aidan, you're home", Millah said.

Her eyes were puffy and he knew she'd been crying a lot today.

"Neal's already asleep. How was your day?", she asked.

"Fine, I guess. Had a full classroom again. I think I failed too many of them last year, soon enough there won't be enough room for all of them to sit."

Millah laughed. He was really strict with his students, she knew and thought it was sexy sometimes.

"What are you thinking about?", she asked him when she noticed his gaze became distant.

"About you, about us. How I don't want to lose you, but I also think this isn't working anymore. And then I think about how it used to be. What happened to us?"

"We grew apart, we weren't happy for a long time. And then I did what I did and ruined every good bit of our relationship that was left", she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"You didn't. Not all of it. I just wish we could find our way to what we were before. But, we've changed."

Millah knew he was right. She dropped her head to his shoulder and enjoyed the comfort of knowing he's still around. Then she decided to try what she tried this morning again. She needed him like that, because she felt close to him that way. She gazed up and whispered, "Make love to me, Aidan".

"Why do you want it so much? Why now?"

"I need to be close to you. I need to feel you somehow and know we're still us", she said, crying.

"But we're not", he said and regretted it immediately, seeing the desperate look in her eyes. He knew exactly how she felt. When you once loved someone, letting go hurts because it questions every beautiful thing that has ever happened. It makes you wonder have you ever loved someone as strongly as you thought you did. The end of a love feels just as intense as the beginning of one.

So he raised his wife's chin up and gave her a kiss, quick and chaste. Millah looked at her husband's lips and kissed him again, desperately and he gave in. His arms wrapped around her, raising her onto his lap. They kept kissing and every once in a while she would grind her hips, to feel her husband's hardened manhood better. He smiled every time she did that. It reminded him of when they were teenagers, she wasn't ready to sleep with him just yet and he wasn't a type to pressure a girl. There's been a lot of situations like this back then and however much he wanted to see her naked and feel her from the inside, that almost innocent grinding was the first kind of pleasure he ever got from her. Suddenly, in his mind, they were 19 again, madly in love and incredibly horny. His hands went to cup her behind, pulling her even closer. He stopped kissing her and his lips now placed soft pecks from her shoulder to her ear, making her shiver each and every time. Aidan was determined to feel like a teenager again, not because those were such happy years for him, but because that was the time they were in love. He was almost nervous, reaching the hem of her dress and pulling it over her head. He felt the same excitement when he saw she wasn't wearing a bra. She was always beautiful to him, but tonight, because of all the memories that rushed to his head, she looked like an angel to him. Millah smiled when she saw that look on her husband's face. It's been a while. He carried her to their bedroom, stopping just to pin her to the wall and kiss her some more. Once they were upstairs, she started undressing him. It didn't take her long, she wanted them to be skin on skin, wanted to feel him tremble and sweat. She lay on the bed, his body covering her completely as he proceeded to lick and kiss every inch of her. His cock was long and hard on her belly and just the velvet feel of it made her blood boil and heat pool in her stomach. He felt as if this was the first time, wanting to make it good for her even though he ached for her touch. It didn't take him long to find himself between her legs, and her back arched in pleasure at the first contact of his mouth and her tiny bud of pleasure. He stopped for a second, just to enjoy the way his wife's eyes darkened with desire and then he happily continued, first gently licking and then sucking. God, she loved this. The way he did it, passionate and almost primal made her feel desired. Her hands in his hair, she felt her whole body tighten and then the immense pleasure made her scream. He kept on kissing slowly and gently until her body stopped shaking. Wearing that satisfied smirk any man has after eliciting screams from a woman, he licked his lips and the sight almost made her come again. She pulled him down and kissed him, sneaking one hand between their bodies to pump his member. He moaned at her touch and she felt encouraged so she kept a steady pace while biting any part of his neck she could reach. He knew he should stop her, but it felt too good and he didn't have the willpower. All of a sudden, it all became too much and he growled, spilling himself over her hands and on her flat stomach. _"Yep, just like our first time"_, he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry", he said.

His wife smiled and responded, "Don't be. That little sound you make when you're done makes up for just about anything".

They drifted off to sleep, knowing that their problems weren't solved, but satisfied they felt like a couple at least for a short time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note : Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. I had a lot going on and no time to write. Will try to be more responsible with this story in the future. **

Regina woke up early. Too early. She tried going back to sleep but it just wasn't working. Instead, she decided to study a bit. So she took a fairly large Calculus book and decided to practice her differential equations. The first test wasn't going to be in at least a month, but she had nothing better to do anyway. Somewhere in the middle of the third equation, her thoughts drifted off. To Gold, of course. It was annoying, really. She wasn't used to thinking about guys, let alone an older man who was her teacher. However, she couldn't chase him off her mind. It all kept coming back, and she imagined him writing his book, the one she read so many times. She imagined his long hair falling over his eyes, him frowning when sentences didn't turn out to be just how he imagined them to be. Then he would get up, she thought, pace around the room smoking, frustration evident on his face. He was a perfectionist, that she knew. It was easy to see just from the way he spoke, wrote, or how the cuffs on his sleeves were folded perfectly. It seemed almost impossible to imagine him insecure, not being in control of everything. That was so appealing, imagining him mesmerized by her, not being able to think of anything other than the fact he wants her just so much. Her imagination progressed fast. Suddenly, in her mind, she was unbuttoning his shirt, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. In her thoughts, Aidan Gold was pathetically shivering just from her touch, she had him under her control, his femme fatale, his little muse. She imagined him breathing heavily, pulling her closer to him, pinning her against the nearest wall, preferably in his classroom, not being able to resist her even if there was a possibility of getting caught. Regina imagined him touching her in ways she was never touched before, but what she really wanted wasn't that, although she most certainly wouldn't mind. No, what she wanted more than him worshiping her body was him worshiping her mind, telling her she was brilliant, she was different than any woman he ever met. What Regina wanted more than adoration, was respect. She wasn't much different than Gold himself when it came to that. Then she remembered he had a wife. The thought was making her sad, but also curious. What did she look like? Could she possibly be a match for him intellectually? Regina sighed sadly, she was almost certain a man like him would never want a woman who was anything less than perfect. Her steamy fantasy was soon replaced by thoughts of self-doubt. She imagined how she looked, must be a beauty, probably slim and tall, and smart, so she could challenge him intellectually and share all of his interests. She envisioned him making love to his wife, his soft strands of hair tickling her face as he gave her the pleasure Regina would never get from him. With a groan of frustration, she went back to her books. It is going to be a long day.

In the meantime, Gold was sitting in his chair, grading the entry exam he has given to his students the week before. It was a nightmare to read all those nonsense, but at least it was easy to give marks. After all, how hard is it to just write "0%" over and over again. Then, in the middle of empty papers, he spotted a correct answer. And then another one, and another one. He pulled it out of the pile and was amazed. This person, whoever she was, got 78% correct and that was more than he expected anyone to do. For a second, he slipped into a pleasant daydream of matching the clever student to that girl he met outside university. He would praise her work and perhaps get her to come to his office hours with an excuse of helping her pursue her interests. He would get to know her better and perhaps she would think he was an intriguing intelligent man. Maybe that could even be attractive to her. He stood up and looked in the mirror. How could a 19-year old beautiful woman find him attractive? Gold sighed and got back to work, trying to focus on the tests in front of him.

The week went by slower than either of them wanted. Regina, to her surprise, learned she was almost counting days to her next class with Aidan. He stopped being Gold in her mind and sometimes she would let his name gently roll off her tongue, thinking about how it would be like to call him that.

Gold, on the other hand, was keen on solving a mystery. Who was the person who did so well on his test and how on Earth did she know all that. Even though the black-haired girl was attractive, this student was even more appealing. He put brains before looks and he had no idea how he, who found knowledge so erotic, ended up married to his wife. Not that she was stupid, that wouldn't be the right word. She was average, and she was the only average thing Gold ever truly wanted in his life. Well, at least used to want. It was painful for him to remember just how smitten he was when she approached him in high school. It was their freshman year, and Gold was already this weird geek kid and Millah was the most popular girl in class. One day, she asked him to tutor her in math and he almost refused because the proximity of her made him dizzy. Over time, he relaxed in her presence and they talked, shared laughs and spent recess together. And, just when he thought he would be content with just being her friend, she leaned over her math homework and pressed her lips to his. He had to pinch himself to check if it's real. Aidan liked this girl very much and was attracted to her beyond every point of reason. It was enough for him just to lay his hand on her bare knee to fuel his fantasies for a week. The first time she allowed him to see her naked, he was afraid of touching her. She was so beautiful and he didn't want to do anything wrong. When he finally found the courage to do so, she got so afraid of her reaction, of how easily she gave into his touch, that she jumped of the bed and pressed her dress over her body, hiding it from him. He let her decide about how far they'd go and each time her boundaries shifted a bit, it was like a small victory for him. But, Aidan knew now, and perhaps even then, but didn't want to see it, that they had nothing in common. Once, he took her to the AC/DC concert he was so excited about and she made him leave early because "they were too loud". Only then, he was so in love he didn't mind.

"That's what your problem is", he thought to himself. "You never found the right woman because you were too thrilled about fucking a prom queen".

It was true. He was so insecure in high school and thought she was better than him because she was popular and he was a geek. He thought he doesn't deserve her and she thought the opposite. They were once in love, but not anymore. They lived their everyday routine, with their baby boy and their memories as only things that still tied them together.

When Wednesday finally came, Aidan almost ran to work. He stopped for a smoke by the gate, hoping he will meet that beauty again and this time have a longer conversation. He scolded himself for thinking about a student, throwing away his half-smoked cigarette. How on Earth did he manage to have a crush on a 19-year old. Aidan paused for a second before entering his classroom. He scanned the back row looking for his raven haired beauty but didn't see her. That was because she was right in front of him, in a tight black skirt, so close he could probably touch her bare legs if he reached out with his hand. She looked into his eyes with a little smile, her pen and notebook in front of her, all ready and eager to take notes. It was hot in the classroom and her blouse wasn't buttoned up to the top, revealing just enough of skin to be tastefully tempting. Aidan stood in the middle of the classroom trying not to think about her young lovely body and it almost worked. Seemingly calm, he started his lecture.

"First the bad news, I graded your test. It was appalling to see just how inaccurate your answers were. I'll return the tests now".

He called out names one by one and everyone looked terrified of zeros that decorated their tests.

"Now that we're done, let's get to the good part. Me trying to teach you bunch of ... students something", he said, annoyed. "Oh", he added, "Miss Regina Mills, stay after class. I need to discuss your paper with you".

Regina's heart started thumping. She thought she did well and obviously, she was wrong. Emma, who sat next to her, looked at her and said "Don't worry, I'll stay with you so that he doesn't eat you alive".

"Miss", Gold said, looking at Emma, "I really don't remember giving you a permission to speak".

"Sorry, Sir", Emma said.

Regina sat completely mortified to the end of class. She barely took notes and her stomach was hurting so bad that she could hardly focus on any of Gold's words and the stuff he was talking about was actually really interesting.

Gold, on the other hand, was so joyful he had to concentrate on keeping a strict facade so that his students don't think he's crazy. They were the same person after all, his little student crush and the brilliant student who did so amazingly on his test! He suddenly got nervous, realizing he will soon stay alone with her. How to control himself so he doesn't say or even worse, do something stupid. He licked his lips and imagined, for just a short second, laying her on his desk and sliding that dreaded skirt up her toned legs.

"Stop thinking about it, stop right now", he scolded himself.

It was while he was trying to banish a picture of Regina on his desk from his mind that the bell rang and students started leaving class. Everyone except for her.

"Miss Mills, I believe you know what I wanted to talk to you about".

"Umm, it's about my test, right, Mr. Gold?"

Gods, his last name, rolling off those pouty lips. It was torture, standing so close to her. She was sweet and smart and sexy and forbidden. Perhaps that made her even more appealing.

"You did amazing on the test. 78%. I was shocked. I expected many zeros, and a 15% score at best. How did you do it, Ms Mills?", he asked, forgetting his strict professor posture in front of her, genuinely wanting to know.

"Let me make you a deal", she said. "We go out so I can both talk to you, have a cigarette and not be late for my next class and I tell you all about how your test was easy", she gave him a grin, feeling brave after his praise.

"My, my, that intellect does produce great ideas", he answered and they headed for the courtyard, where they both pulled out their cigarettes.

"So, Miss Mills, you promised me the secret of your success on my test", Gold said, trying to hide just how eager he was to know, fiddling with his cigarette a little too much for his usual calm demeanour. "Right", she answered. "It was simple really, your test was emotional".

"What?", he almost choked.

"You wrote many books on the subject and anyone who read at least one can easily tell which part is your favourite. You simply wrote about things you love and find particularly interesting differently and it catches a reader's attention which makes it easily memorable. And then you gave a test which consisted only of those chunks of information you hold dear. See, easy?", Regina smiled, leaving Gold dazed by her answer.

The bell rang and she hurried inside. Gold shook his head in awe. She will be the death of him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I am so sorry I completely neglected this story. I had a lot on my mind, struggling in my own university and real life just took over. However, I hope I will be able to update more regularly. I am very thankful for your lovely reviews and I apologise for keeping you waiting. Here's a short chapter as I'm warming up for writing some more.**

Aidan spent days pretty much daydreaming about Regina. He dreaded that a man of his intellect would _daydream_, but the fact that she read his books and even more, read his personality thrilled him. And, even though he would be shy to admit it, he thought she flirted with him, barely noticeable.

"No, you old fool. She's nice, that's all", he scolded himself and went on with his day.

It was Saturday, and he and Neal were invited to Gracie's weekly tea party. Aidan looked forward to this. He liked seeing his son happy and for some reason, because he was more sensitive than other children, Neal didn't have a lot of friends. There were a couple from his kindergarten, but Gold felt he was really comfortable only with Grace. He took after him in a lot of ways, and while he prided himself when people would say "like father - like son", he wished he was more sociable like Millah. The only person he could call his friend was Jefferson and even with him he was hesitant to discuss his problems, focusing more on work and sports they both watched.

He hated to admit it, but he was happy to spend some time away from Millah. Since he noticed Regina ("God, how royal does her name sound! And it suits the lovely aristocratic face features she had...ok, stop it now"), he felt as though he cheated every time he looked at his wife. He knew that was ridiculous and that it was the most normal thing to notice a beautiful woman as long as you don't act on that attraction, but he still felt oddly guilty.

Neal was happily jumping down the street, holding his father's hand. Grace was older than him, but she played with him as though they were peers and he loved their visits to Jefferson's house. They were almost there.

Jefferson's house had a white picket fence. Gold never would have thought him for a white picket fence kind of guy, but the outside of the house was very traditional. The inside, however, was filled with Jefferson's trinkets, every bit of it holding either his or his daughter's personality. He turned the entire hallway into Grace's little gallery where they would weekly put here new drawings and poems. Her favorite toys were all over the house. Sometimes, Gold would go to pour himself a cup of coffee and find her toy rabbit bathing in a pot or something like that. But Jefferson didn't mind the mess. In fact, he thrived in it. He was a physicist, very good at his work, who only started teaching university students after his wife died and he decided that long hours in labs and traveling to important conferences were stopping him for being a good father to his little Grace. He never regretted it, although he sometimes missed feeling more important in his field of work. Jefferson still published a lot, his main focus now being the wormholes. Although he made no scientific breakthrough, he was fascinated with the possibility of wormholes being able to alter time flow. Time-travel was the topic he geeked out about, often spending numerous hours discussing it with Gold.

"Come on in", Jefferson happily greeted his friend and Neal.

Neal and Grace hugged and decided right away they wanted to play in the yard, testing one of the new toys Jefferson made for Grace. It was a giant dragonfly controlled by a remote. Jefferson was quite proud that even though he was a theoretical physicist, he had enough engineering skills to make fun stuff for his daughter. And it was good for her, since she always wanted to know how they worked and her questions and fascination with her father's work made their bond even stronger.

Aidan would never admit it, but he wished he could be such a great father. He was often bad at balancing his job and his family, but when he was with Neal, he was good with him. The boy loved his Papa very much and was probably more attached to him than his mother. Gold always wondered why. She spent a lot of time with Neal and was in no way a bad mother, but she did sometimes feel that if it wasn't for her son, she would be able to leave her marriage with less regret. It was one thing to hurt a man she once deeply loved, but another to break her son's family.

Two university professors were sitting in the living room, making small talk about their workplace, students and upcoming tests they were supposed to give. Suddenly, Gold decided to confide in his friend.

"Um...Have you ever...", and he mumbled the rest of the sentence so Jefferson didn't actually hear it.

"Have I what?", asked Jefferson.

"Have you ever been attracted to a student?"

Jefferson almost choked on his tea, spilling a bit on his lap. He looked at his friend with a devilish smile on his face and Gold regretted asking instantly. He knew he was about to be mercilessly teased.

"Oh, scary has a thing for students. What do you want to do to her, spank her while she recites Maxwell's equations in differential form?"

The thought was very appealing to Gold, but he laughed and brushed it off.

"No, I just think she's pretty." And smart. And well-read. And a good judge of character. And sexy.

"I guess everything is fine then. It's not like you're doing anything wrong with noticing a beautiful woman. As long you don't do anything about it. Or tell your wife", Jefferson tried to put his mind at ease.

"I guess. You never thought about a student in that way?"

"Once. But I was quick to remember that I value my position at Uni more than an affair with an undergrad. And I was never attracted to her personality. I always compare every woman to Alice, and they just don't measure up. But enough about that, I'm sorry for bringing up the sad topic".

Gold was overwhelmed by emotion, although he kept his expression stone-cold. Jefferson had found his true love, and then lost it. He wondered how it is to have something so perfect, but he never wanted to feel such loss.

They sat quietly for a while, then soon returned to their scientific topics, both uncomfortable with previous talk.

When their children finally came inside, exhausted and happy, not a trace on their faces could show their thoughts. Jefferson thinking about his late wife, Gold still feeling guilty as hell.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina spent Saturday studying. She had a lot to do and was quite overwhelmed by the amount of assignments and reading they expected in University. It was scary that she could barely keep up. She was used to studying, but everything in highschool came so easy to her. This was the first time in her life she had to work really hard to be good at something and she hated to admit she felt insecure.

Her obssesion with Gold wasn't helping. Her handsome teacher only noticed her because she did good in his class and she didn't want to disappoint him. As much as he was her motivation, he was also a distraction as she had to compose herself many times to keep her mind on the subject. Especially when he would pause to lick his lips in the middle of the lecture. She couldn't find one thing about him that she didn't find appealing.

Somewhere in the middle of her desperately turning pages of an extremely thick book on Classical Mechanics, her phone rang.

To her surprise, it was Emma, asking her if she wanted to go out tonight. She thought of refusing the offer, but then paused and thought about how she wasn't really good at making friends and going out was a good way to start.

They agreed to meet in front of Granny's diner and then see if there's something interesting going on at the shady bar called The Rabbit Hole. Regina didn't enjoy bars much, but she enjoyed dancing to rock music and Emma said there was a good chance of a local rock band playing there.

She washed her hair, took a shower and thought about what to wear. In the end, she chose a black satin slip dress, high boots and a suit jacket. She knew she was probably overdressed, but if she learned anything from her mother, it was that it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

As soon as she saw Emma, she regretted her choice. Emma wore jeans, a simple top and a red leather jacket. She wolf-whistled when she saw Regina.

"You're dressed up to the nines! I will have to save you from all the guys who will want to take you home!", she said.

Regina smiled coyly. Although she knew she was in no way unattractive, it was hard to imagine guys being overly interested in her. She was often told it was because she looked cold and a little bit conceited at first sight.

"Thank you! But I doubt I will be in need of a savior tonight", Regina exclaimed laughing.

Two girls went to the bar, chatting along the way. The band was playing, they got drinks and Regina was surprisingly having a good time. Soon she noticed that boy Emma flirted with walk into the bar. She suppressed a laugh at how cocky he seemed, running his fingers through his hair, undoubtedly on the lookout for girls to admire him. She nudged Emma and whispered he was there.

The blonde walked over to him confidently, something Regina envied greatly. She would never be able to approach a guy she liked like that.

"So, you went out for a drink alone? That's sad and don't make it a habit", Emma teased Killian.

"Well, we could have a drink together", he proposed.

"I'm here with a friend, but you can join us if you'd like".

He did and it went exactly the way it always goes. Emma and him were flirting, Regina awkwardly laughing and sipping her drink. Once she realised she was probably going to get drunk if she continues being so bored, she said goodbye to Emma and Killian and left. Her blonde friend tried half-heartedly to persuade her to stay, but she just winked and told her to have a nice time with her handsome fellow.

She was happy to be out in the fresh air, just strolling around because it was a warm night full of stars. It was when she was fumbling with her bag to find the lighter when she bumped into someone.

It was Gold, who headed out for a walk to clear his head.

"Um, hello, professor", she mumbled.

"Oh, Miss... Mills, right? Hi".

They just stood awkwardly for a couple of seconds.

"Weather talk. When you don't know what to say, comment on the weather", he thought to himself.

So did she, so they uttered in unison: "What a lovely night".

It was the laugh they shared over the situation that made them relax.

"Sorry, professor, it's just that I didn't expect to see you outside of University", she explained.

"I don't live there, you know", he said. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Miss Mills".

"Likewise. And it is really a lovely night. It reminds me of the night I spent in an Astronomy Institute. They have those radio telescopes. I saw my first and only pulsar that night."

"Are you positive it wasn't a quasar, Miss", he asked, with a smirk.

"They are completely different! People just always get the terms wrong", she answered.

If she stripped naked while licking a popsicle, he probably wouldn't have found it as erotic as this sentence. Gold tried to hide that he was mesmerized, by changing the subject.

"So, what were you doing on this lovely night?"

"Oh, I was in the bar with a friend. There was a band playing I wanted to check out".

"Were they any good? Storybrooke doesn't have much of a music scene", Gold said, disappointed.

"Actually, I loved them. Personally, I prefer bands who write their own stuff, but I can never resist a good AC/DC tribute".

She was that smart and had some musical taste. Why did the student he fell for have to be so perfect?

"Maybe I'll go see them. If I'm not too old for that place", he said and immediately regretted it. Why was he so stupid to remind her of his age?

"I don't think you are", she said sincerely. "Are you a Bon Scott or a Brian Johnson kind of guy?"

"What a preposterous question! Bon Scott was irreplaceble!"

"And yet I would bet my right hand you love Back In Black", she teased.

"Who doesn't, but it doesn't compare to High Voltage. Wait... Don't tell me you're a Johnson girl or I just might have to fail you", he joked.

"You wouldn't! Although it would go nicely with the reputation you have", she shot back.

Her intire body was trembling. She was nervous, talking to him. That and she cursed him for talking about things she liked. How was she supposed to resist him when everything about him fit her so well. She imagined for a second if their bodies would fit so well. Gold was so close. Their arms touched and she shivered.

"Are you cold, Miss?"

"No, not really", she said, but he thought she was lying.

"Here", he said taking off his jacket and putting it over her shoulders.

"I wouldn't want you to get sick. The average intelligence in my class would drop if you weren't there", Gold laughed.

It was when he was taking off his jacket that she noticed he had a nice body to go with those brains. His shoulders were wider that she tought. He had a little bit of a belly but she thought it was sexy. Nothing on him said that he worked out and still his body seemed strong and manly. She was sure he could pick her up and pin her to the wall if she wanted to and it made her slightly aroused.

They walked for a while, talking about classes she was taking, about music, astrophysics in general and how they should both stop smoking.

"It's bad for you, you know", he said, although he just lit up his third.

"Everything I want these days is bad for me", she blurted out.

"I'm not sure I understand", Gold was puzzled.

"I'm glad you don't. Well, here's my place. Thank you for keeping me company", she said, giving him his jacket.

"You too, Miss Mills".

And just like that she was gone and if she looked out the window she would have seen him dumbfounded, sniffing the collar of his jacket, excited like a teenager it now smelled of her.


End file.
